A year after reopening, rejuvenated Fall River Marine Museum thrives

The Marine Museum’s president, Margot Cottrell, said they’ve been working for the past year to bring “more color and excitement” to the rejuvenated landmark.

Piggybacking today, for the second time, on “Free Fun Friday” at Battleship Cove — expected to draw 10,000 free visitors — Marine Museum officials think about 1,000 visitors will come in without charge to see the 28-foot Titanic model, Fall River Line ships and thousands of other models and artifacts in a notably spruced up setting at 70 Water St.

Michael Holtzman

The Marine Museum’s president, Margot Cottrell, said they’ve been working for the past year to bring “more color and excitement” to the rejuvenated landmark.

Piggybacking today, for the second time, on “Free Fun Friday” at Battleship Cove — expected to draw 10,000 free visitors — Marine Museum officials think about 1,000 visitors will come in without charge to see the 28-foot Titanic model, Fall River Line ships and thousands of other models and artifacts in a notably spruced up setting at 70 Water St.

That will be the start of a busy weekend and summer as the museum, kicking off its second year under its major reorganization, will open for a special Sunday opening in two days. It will be a fundraiser to honor one of the most famous — and most unassuming — people to have ever put a stamp on Greater Fall River.

You don’t need to be a great swimmer to appreciate the accomplishments of Somerset’s Shirley May France, who drew worldwide attention in her valiant attempt as a 16-year-old to become the youngest woman in the world to swim the English Channel.

Her feats — attempting the 21-mile swim against ferocious currents from the North Sea three times before being forced from the ocean — captivated a tremendous following on both sides of the Atlantic in 1949 and 1950, during the recovery years from World War II.

Richard Shane of the Somerset Historical Commission will welcome visitors at 2 p.m. Sunday to travel back in time with numerous photos, videos and artifacts, replete with the rich and famous, to tell the story of Shirley May France before she became Shirley May Setters, who was married to the late Donald Setters Sr. for 50 years and raised their five children in Somerset.

The event is being held on what would have been her 81st birthday, said Donald Setters Jr., the second youngest of her children and Somerset selectmen chairman.

She died March 18, 2012, at Charlton Memorial Hospital.

“She was a very, very gracious woman,” said Andy Lizak, the museum artifacts and acquisition chairman and a family friend.

The Marine Museum will join in at one of the summer’s biggest events when Navy Day will be celebrated at Battleship Cove and along the waterfront on Aug. 24.

There will be a mix of themed events with feats of maritime education and excellence amid bands and the largest museum collection of Navy ships in the world.

For those who have been following the Marine Museum, it’s been exactly one year that the nearly defunct museum — recovering from a loss of nonprofit status, bypassing meetings and state registrations, with little funds and much debt — reorganized under the Rev. Robert Lawrence and a new board.

Through special events, new museum exhibits and countless hours researching and retrieving the models and artifacts donated for decades to the Marine Museum that were mothballed, its potential splendor has been blossoming.

From having four members, debts of more than $150,000, and $320 in the bank before the reorganization in late July 2012, 61 new members signed up initially.

Since then, the museum has grown to more than 400 members, Cottrell said, and through several major grants and donations has paid off its $56,000 mortgage and all but a couple of bills.

Lawrence, Cottrell and Lizak proudly demonstrated the progress this week.

Among newly displayed exhibits, they put together a coffee service that’s quadruple silver-plated to protect against the saltwater seas from the Edamena IV in Westport Harbor. It’s part of the photos and artifacts about Earle Perry “E.P.” Charlton, the city founder of the 5 & 10 cent store that merged with Woolworth.

It was arranged shortly before Charlton’s grandson, “Chuck” Charlton, visited the museum from California and donated $100,000 from the family foundation.

No one could miss the 8-foot model of the Massachusetts shown near the museum entry. Parts have been repaired, and the museum will work with local students at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School to build a base and case so the Massachusetts of Battleship Cove can be brought to Logan Airport to be displayed.

By the time Navy Day arrives, Lawrence said, the boards of the Marine Museum and Battleship Cove plan to meet with the aim of completing a formal “affiliation” by year’s end between the two organizations with shared maritime history.

“We’ve been active,” Lawrence said.

Among exhibits soon to be unveiled, Lizak showed a “Brooklyn class tugboat,” which includes a barge and working steam engine and boiler made by William Sheffield of Manchester, Conn. He donated the model one week ago, and the creator named it the Len Anderson for the man that did the metal work.

“He wanted to find a home for his model,” Lizak said.

Lizak, who tried for years to be part of the Marine Museum, following up on earlier interests and participation, said it’s been their priority whenever a former donor inquired about their exhibits to find them. Some they’d find sooner than others, but all turned up.

“Everything has actually been here. I haven’t found anything missing,” he said.